Meter installation



G. E. PALMER METER INSTALLATION Sept. 2, 1930.

Filed July 1924 Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRANVILLE n PALMER,

F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS TO THE PALMER ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING 00., 0F WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR PQRATION OF MASSACHUSETTS METER INSTALLATION Application filed July 3,

Electric meters, in service installations, have commonly been mounted on substantially vertical wooden boards or panels, which have also been employed to carry electrical service connections such as the switch and fuse mechanisms commonly associated with the meters. To render such installations as safe as possible as well as to prevent theft of current or unauthorized access to live conducm tors, the switch and fuses are often enclosed in protective metal casings having openings constructed to register with the meter terminal housings. It is also commonly required that the wooden boards or panels with a fireproof paint. 1

This invention provides a construction in which the necessity of a wooden board or panel is eliminated, and by means of a construction by which the housing for the switch and meter protecting devices is made use of in connection with a metal plate or board for supporting the meter, in a manner which permits the casing to form part of the mounting means. This is done by attaching to the vertical rear face of the casing a plate to which the meter may be fixed, and fixing to the upper end of this plate and to the lower portion" of the casing supporting feet, certain of which are adjustable in length. By this construction the assembled mechanism may be supported from any suitable wall in position so that the meter may be brought into a vertical plane.

This construction renders it easy to ground the metallic meter frame, this being accomplished in the present instance by merely grounding the casing or plate. By

making the plate detachable from the casing and the plate and feet detached from the casing the plates are readily packed for shipment.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the casing for the meter protective devices and the meter support, the position of the meter being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a side elevation 'of the same shall be painted 1924. Serial No. 724,028.

showing the meter support and easing fixed to a wall. Figure 3 is a detail away showing the wall attachment ter support. I Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same. 4

Figure 5 is a perspective of themeter support and its wall attaching foot.

Figure 6 is a perspective of a foot for sup porting the casing from a wall.

Figure 7 is a detail section on line 7 -7 of Figure 5.

, Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a metallic box or casing of any suitableor usual construction for containing the switch and meter fuses or other meter protective devices. As shown this casing is provided with a hinged closure 2 covering a portion of its front face behind which the fuses are ed to be positioned. When the switch is in its off position, the closure is unlocked so plan partly broken of the methat it may be opened and access obtained to the fuses. When-the switch is in its on position the closure is locked in closed position. Any other type of casing might be used, however. On the back face of the easing 1 are shown attached a pair of feet, one being shown detached in Figure 6 as at 5. .As shown these feet in substantially Z shape, one end flange 6 being perforated for attachment to the casing 1, the opposite end or flange 7 being shown 1 as provided with an angularly disposed slot 8 through which bolts or screws may be passed into the supporting wall, as shown at 10 in Figure 2. These slots are formed so that the casing and themeter car: ried therewith, as will be later described, may be moved laterally at'its lower end in order to adjust the meter into proper vertical position.

Attached to the upper portion of the caspassed to intendare bent from bar stock cal face of the casing 1. The upper end of the board or plate is bent rearwardly, as shown at 18, and perforated at 19 for the reception of fastening bolts or screws 20 which also pass through slots 21 in one flange of an angle foot member 22. The opposite flange of this member 22 at 23 is provided with an elongated slot 2% through which a suitable fastening device may be passed to fix this angle foot to the wall 10. This slot also permits the upper end of the unit comprising the casing and the plate 15 to be adjusted so that the meter carried by the plate 15 may be placed in its proper position.

The plate 15 may be provided with variously arranged slots 31 shaped to cooperate with various types of meters having their attaching bolts or screws positioned in different places. Such meters are usually fixed by two, screws or bolts adjacent their lower ends and a single one at their upper ends. To provide for this single fastener at the upper ends of various meters, a slot 32 is cut in the plate 15 adjacent to the opposite end of the plate to receive this member and in order that this member may have a proper bearing on the plate 15 a strip 33 may be retained against the rear face of the plate by an integral loop bent therefrom as shown in Figures 5 and '7. This strip 33 is adjustable vertically on the rear face of the panel plate 15 and may have a meter fastener passed rearwardly through the slot 32 as at engaged therewith, this strip bridging the slot 32. The strip 33 is prevented from turning by its engagement through the loop 34 so that when a threaded meter fastening element, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, is threaded thereinto no access to the rear face of the plate is necessary in order to tighten the fastening. Furthermore, it extends always directly forwardly so that it is an easy matter to engage the meter therewith. hen a meter is to be fixed in position the workman inserts a headed fastener into the strip 33, its head extending for-- wardly through the slot 32, the strip being then in its lowest position. He then takes the meter with both hands, as it must be handled carefully, and finding that the fastener in the strip 33 is nearer to the casing top wall than the height of the meter, he tilts the meter laterally until he can engage the usual loop at the top of the meter over the fastener, the absence of obstructions on the front face of the plate 15 permitting this. He then swings the meter to a vertical position, this acting to raise the strip 33, raising the meter sufiiciently to clear the top wall of the casing and then lowering it into proper position. He then moves the upper fastener to its upper limit as permitted by the meter loop and tightens it in position. The fastenings for the lower portion of the meter are then inserted and tightened. The loop 34 holds the strip 33 against the rear face of the plate 15 quite independently of the meter fastening element, a suitable stop .36 thereon limiting the downward movement of the strip 33 by engagement with the lower end of the slot 32. lVhen the upper fastening is tightened up the strip 33 is pulled against the rear face of the plate 15 and is held firmly in position. The meter is thus held firmly in position with its terminal housing registering with the upper end of the casing 1 which is supplied with an adapter plate of suitable form to close the space between the meter terminal housing and the adjacent casing walls to prevent access to the interior of the casing past the meter terminal housing while permitting the passage of electrical conductors between the meter and the de vices in said casing through an opening in the adapter plate which forms one wall of the casing in the usual manner.

It will be noted that the feet for attaching the casing and the plate are both detachable from these parts and that at least one of these feet is adjustable in length so that the plate 15 may be brought into a vertical plane, and that the plate andcasing may be turned slightly in this vertical plane to bring the meter in substantially its proper position, slight adjustments of the meter being also permitted by means of the slots 31 in the plate through which its fastenings pass. The casing and the meter supporting plate are attachable to the wall as a unit and to this unit may be secured a meter with its terminal chamber correctly positioned registering with the opening of the adapter plate forming one wall of the casing, any one of a variety of meters of different shapes and sizes being capable of assembly with the other parts in this manner.

As the meter is supported directly by a metal plate, which in turn is fixed directly to a metal casing, a ground connection to any of these parts grounds the meter frame. Such a connection for the casing is indicated at 40 in Figure 2.

Having thus described an embodiment of this invention it should be evident that various changes and modifications may be made therein without' departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A meter support comprising a plate having meter fastener receiving openings adjacent one end thereof and a slot adjacent to the opposite end, said plate having a pair of spaced slits, the material therebetween being rearwardly offset from the plane of said plate to form an integral loop, and a strip passed between said loop and the rear face of said plate and bridging said slot, said strip being constructed to receive a meter fastener extending from the forward face of said plate through said slot.

tightening of which 2. In combination, a box like casing for the enclosure of meter protection devices, an having an opening in its upper wall for registry with the terminal chamber 'of a meter to permit the passage of electrical conductors between said meter and the devices in said casing, a plate to which said casing is removably secured, said plate having rearwardly directed marginal stiffening flanges and presenting an unobstructed front face, said plate having openings to receive meter fastening devices and a vertically arranged slot, a member, and means for holding said member vertically slidable relative to said plate at said slot, said member being formed to receive through said slot a meter fastening (gevice at the upper portion of a meter, wherey engaged with said member when in its lowered position with said meter inclined from the vertical whereupon said meter may be turned into vertical position raising said member and then lowered so that its terminal chamber may be brought into registry with said wall and prevent access to the interior of said casing therepast.

3. A meter support comprising a plate having a slot therein, a member having means to receive a meter fastening extending through said slot, and means independent of said meter fastening for movably holding said member against said plate while permitting said fastening to be moved in said slot.

4. A meter support comprising a plate having aslot therein, a member, means for adjustably holding said member against the rear face of said plate back of said slot, and meter securing means extending through said slot and engaging said member and by the said member is held fixed to said plate.

5. A meter support comprising a plate having a slotth'erethrough, a member, means for holding said member against turning on the rear face of said plate but permitting of said member lengthwise of said slot, and a threaded securing member extending through I said slot and engaging said member.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed'my signature.

GRANVILLE E. PALMER.

said upper portion of the meter may be sliding 

